Juryo is the dividing line between a regular sumo salary and the allowance system below it. Our Japanese archive reports a monthly salary scale of ¥3,000,000 for a yokozuna down to ¥1,100,000 for a juryo wrestler, introduced in January 2019. The figures below describe that reported scale. They are not an individual wrestler’s earnings, an official payslip, or confirmation that no later revision has occurred.
The reported monthly salary scale
The table follows the salary explanation in Dohyo no Mokugekisha. Amounts are in Japanese yen. The source distinguishes the rank-based salary from tournament allowances and prize money; those categories should not be combined without stating what is included.
| Rank | Reported monthly salary | Salary × 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Yokozuna | ¥3,000,000 | ¥36,000,000 |
| Ozeki | ¥2,500,000 | ¥30,000,000 |
| Sekiwake / komusubi | ¥1,800,000 | ¥21,600,000 |
| Maegashira | ¥1,400,000 | ¥16,800,000 |
| Juryo | ¥1,100,000 | ¥13,200,000 |
The annual column is useful for understanding scale, but it should not be attached to a named wrestler as a statement of income. A wrestler may change rank during a year, and the salary is only one component. For the same reason, converting one monthly figure into a supposed net worth would not be justified.
Below juryo: allowance is different from salary
The Japanese source lists tournament allowances for the four divisions below juryo. Calling those wrestlers “unpaid” without explanation would conceal that distinction. They do not draw the monthly salary in the table above, but the source reports a separate allowance structure.
| Division | Reported allowance per tournament |
|---|---|
| Makushita | ¥165,000 |
| Sandanme | ¥110,000 |
| Jonidan | ¥88,000 |
| Jonokuchi | ¥77,000 |
That division boundary explains why becoming a sekitori matters beyond the prestige of a new rank. It changes the pay system. It does not mean every sekitori receives the same total income.
Salary, reward money and sponsored bouts
Monthly salary should be kept separate from mochikyukin, the reward-money system tied to a wrestler’s accumulated record, and kensho, sponsorship attached to individual bouts. Championship and special-prize awards are separate again. A table headed “salary” should not silently include all of these.
A rank-based minimum in the reward-money system is also different from the wrestler’s own accumulated base. Describing all payments as permanently increasing would hide the effect of a change in rank. We do not calculate an individual’s reward entitlement from the salary table.
Taguchi’s argument about equal pay within a rank
In his June 26, 2017 commentary, Taguchi argued that the salary structure should distinguish more closely between positions on the banzuke. His example was the contrast between a high maegashira facing the leading ranks and a wrestler just below that group. The proposed change was his opinion, not an Association pay rule.
This is one reason to keep a reported amount and a writer’s assessment in separate sentences. Readers can check the scale while disagreeing with the proposed reform.
How the salary system began
Taguchi’s April 23, 2016 historical account dates the monthly salary system to 1957 under chairman Tokitsukaze, the former Futabayama. He records an initial monthly ¥150,000 for a yokozuna and ¥30,000 for a juryo wrestler. Those are historical amounts from his account, not inflation-adjusted comparisons.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a yokozuna’s monthly salary?
The Japanese source reports ¥3,000,000 under the scale introduced in January 2019. This page does not verify a particular wrestler’s current pay or establish whether a later revision has occurred.
Do all professional sumo wrestlers receive a monthly salary?
The monthly salary system covers juryo and makuuchi. The four divisions below juryo have a separate tournament-allowance system, as described in the linked Japanese source.
Are these figures official annual earnings?
No. The annual column multiplies the reported monthly rate by twelve under a constant-rate assumption. It is an illustration of salary alone and is not an earnings disclosure.
Sources and correction
Japanese sources: salary and allowances, Taguchi’s 2017 commentary, and his history of the monthly salary. Reviewed October 2, 2026.
The earlier version said that salary figures had been checked against the Association while also saying they were absent from its English introduction. An omission from one booklet cannot prove that the Association publishes no salary information anywhere. This revision removes both that broad claim and the misleading verification statement, dates the reported scale, and separates calculations from earnings.
